1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to solar heating devices, specifically to one which indicates when an open or closed window covering results in maximum heat conservation.
2. Description of Prior Art
Heretofore, heating systems required substantial investment in retrofitting or new facilities to utilize solar energy.
Also, on a sunny day, drapes or other window coverings should be opened to let solar radiation in to help heat the room. During cloudy days or at night, however, net heat is lost thru the window by conduction and convection. Under these circumstances the drapery or other window covering should be closed to help reduce heating costs and conserve energy. On partly cloudy days or during indirect sunlight it may be less obvious if an open or closed drapery will contribute to energy savings.
This invention tells the occupant of a room explicitly when to open or close a thermally insulating window covering for maximum energy savings. Also, another version automatically opens or closes the window covering. These benefits can be easily implemented in almost all existing structures for minimal cost.
Until now, heating energy conservation techniques known suffer from a number of disadvantages:
(a) Their utilization requires significant retrofitting or completely new structures. PA1 (b) Room comfort is compromised by lower temperatures. PA1 (c) Economics are unfeasible. PA1 (a) to utilize solar heating with a simple retrofit on present structures. PA1 (b) to conserve heating energy without sacrificing comfort. PA1 (c) to utilize solar heating in an economically feasible manner.